Programme Lead - Foundation Year - Distance Learning

Arden University; Birmingham; Remote; GBP 46,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university is seeking a Programme Leader to oversee Distance Learning Foundation Year programmes. The role involves developing innovative strategies to help students succeed in their academic journey and managing a dedicated team. Ideal candidates will have strong leadership experience in online education and a passion for enhancing student learning outcomes.

Benefits

30 days holiday + bank holidays

Generous pension plan

Private Medical Insurance for certain roles

Access to Perkbox benefits

Free Arden course for employees

‘Golden Ticket’ for free education for others

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in Foundation Year or university preparation programmes.
• Adept at operationalising strategies to improve student outcomes.
• Ability to manage academic teams and engage effectively with students.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Distance Learning Foundation Year programmes.
• Develop strategies to enhance student progression and retention.
• Implement academic support measures and manage a teaching team.

Skills

Experience with Foundation Year programmes

Online learning programme knowledge

Student engagement abilities

Education

Experience in higher education leadership

Job description

Salary: £46,890 - £57,310 per annum

Employment type: Permanent

Hours per week: 37

Reporting into: Head of Department, Academic Persistence -Academic Achievement and Outreach

Centre: Centre for Academic Persistence

Click here to read the full job description and view our excellent benefits here

This role operates primarily on a remote working arrangement that will require minimaltravel into our various campuses (however, there will be face-face meetings and away days which you will be required to attend in person). Our working model arrangements are a non-contractual benefit so please note that an Arden work location is added to our employment contracts.

About Arden University:

We are an aspirational and multi-award-winning university, delivering rapid growth with ambitious plans to disrupt the HE sector through our passion for innovation and digital education. Our vision is to become the first-choice university for career-focused lifelong learners worldwide, ensuring that everyone, everywhere can access higher education.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines, forge worldwide partnerships, and expand our locations.

About our Department:

Our Centre for Academic Persistence is focussed on helping and supporting students through their first-year university journey. We are a large team who are passionate about supporting students realise their potential. We do this through several different programmes including our Foundation Year; supporting the CertHE programme; our On Track initiative for students with level-progression support or assistance resitting or retaking modules; Pass First Time (Academic study skills to help pass courses) and the university new student orientation.

About the Opportunity:

We are currently looking for a Programme Leader to lead, develop and monitor the delivery of our Distance Learning (DL) Foundation Year programmes. We have 2 programmes on teach-out.

• Responsibility for our DLFoundation Year programme (includes part-time online students and is in teach-out)
• An advocate and specialist in online programmes (especially at lower levels of entry e.g., level 3 and 4),programme leadership and innovating where required
• Responsible for implementing the DL Improvement Plan in the programme where required, and improving student outcomes to benchmarks
• Implementing any academic support and outreach models for Foundation Year
• May support with module leadership of several large, core modules
• Line management of our Distance Learning Foundation Year teamLecturers (who may themselves support modules)/any Associate Lecturers who support the programme.
• Teaching duties (and associated activities) normally up to 8 hours per week as agreed with the Director

About You:

We are seeking a highly innovative individual with extensive experience of working with Foundation Year/or university preparation programmes, and specifically online learning programmes. You will be aware of the challenges that these learners experience and accordingly you will be adept at operationalising strategies and interventions to improve student progression, retention and outcomes. You will have experience of supporting and managing academic teams/module leaders and have an outstanding ability to engage with students and staff resulting in a positive teaching and learning environment. We are seeking someone who is friendly, approachable, adaptable, flexible, calm under pressure, driven and persistent. This is a fast-paced environment in an organisation that is growing rapidly so being able to manage ambiguity and change is essential.

Why Arden:

At Arden, you will become a part of a passionate and dedicated team who are committed to removing unnecessary barriers to learning and making education more accessible. Our people work hard to ensure our students journeys are the best they can possibly be, as such we want to reward our people with fantastic benefits. Employees benefit from:

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays on-top, and even a Christmas closure!
• A generous Aviva pension plan, company contributions starting from 7%
• SimplyHealth plan option
• Private Medical Insurance coverage (applies to certain job roles)
• Access to Perkbox benefits
• Study any Arden course for free, with a discount for all family and friends
• Plus, other excellent benefits
• Our ‘Golden Ticket’ which allows you to gift anyone in your life a free Arden education
  

Our Values:

Stand out, Progressive, Accessible, Resourceful, Kindness, reflect who we are as an institution, a team and as individuals. If they also reflect you and you are excited by the chance to be the driving, creative force within a growing business, we want to hear from you.

There has never been a more exciting time to join Arden University, as we expand into new disciplines and locations.

Closing Date: Friday 20th June(Midnight)

We reserve the right to close this vacancy before the specified closing date should we receive sufficient applications or in order to respond to business needs. In order to avoid missing an opportunity to apply please submit your application as early as possible.

If you are a current Arden student or have an upcoming course with us, you are not eligible to apply for Student Experience roles due to a conflict of interest related to system access.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion:

Arden University is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. This means that if you have a disability, as defined by the Disability Equality Act 2010, you may be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.

If you wish to be considered under this scheme, you can indicate via the application form below. By doing so, you are also consenting for this information to be shared with the hiring team. For more details on what qualifies as a disability under the Disability Equality Act 2010, please refer to the guidance here.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Therefore, we make sure that our recruitment and selection processes never discriminate based upon people's age, disability, gender, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances, and actively welcome applications from all groups.

Sponsorship statement:

Please be aware that some roles may not meet the points requirement for a sponsored Skilled Worker visa under the points-based immigration system. However, we welcome applications from candidates who do not currently have the right to work in the UK but may be eligible for a visa through an alternative route.